Pirates of the Caribbean: The Fountain of Youth
by DarkShine07
Summary: Picking up where Pirates AWE left off, witty Jack decides that he wants to search for the Fountain of Youth. Filled with action, adventure, and romance. [JxE and some WxE][Character Deaths]
1. Stranded

**AN: SPOILERS! Ye be warned.**

"Aye, you may feast your eyes upon the wonders of the map." Barbossa grinned.

He reached his hands into his coat pockets and pulled the elaborate map out. The crew members all stood slightly stooped over, trying to see it, as the Captain began unrolling the map. He stood there, his mouth curved into a smug smile, as he fumbled with his fingers. Ah, the map was unrolled. He let his eyes look down and his smug smile vanished instantly. The men standing around him had their jaws dropped down slightly as they looked at Barbossa. The Captain simply rolled his eyes in disgust. That Jack Sparrow always ruined his plans, and now he was going to have to chase him back down.

//-//-//-//-//

In fact, at that moment, Jack Sparrow felt pretty proud of himself. He let his miniature 'Black Pear' sail off into the horizon as _he _pulled out the ripped section of the map. He couldn't help but grin as he imagined Barbossa finding that his plan had all been a part of Jack's plan. He slowly turned the sections of the map until one part read '_Fountain of Youth'._ That's where he was headed to next. He could only imagine the wonders that the Fountain beheld, yet he was anxious to find it and gain its power. He had been dead once before, and he didn't plan on going back to Davy Jones' locker; or was it Will Turner's locker now?

He took a swig of rum and pulled out his compass. It hadn't been giving him any trouble for a long time. He'd been able to navigate without having it swing towards something…or someone every five seconds. It was quite enjoyable to just be able to go somewhere again. As the Captain thought on it, his mind began to drift to the subject in which he didn't want to be a subject. He thought of the long journey she had taken to get to him, and how she hadn't even told William…what could that mean? Or was she still in denial? When Jack had used Will's limp hand to pierce the heart of Davy Jones, he'd never considered that he may have done it for more than one reason. He'd always thought he'd done it to keep the lad from dying. By making him pierce the heart with his own hand, it saved him from death, forever. As long as no one pierced the new heart that beat within the chest, William would live on. Although this left him in charge of the Flying Dutchman. He had a duty to lead souls to the land of the dead, and he could only set foot on land every ten years. He wondered if he'd used his chance already. And where had that ditsy damsel in distress gone to? There was only one way to find out…Nah. He didn't need to go off looking for that girl. Especially if Will hadn't asked him to like he always did. He kept on sailing into the horizon.

//-//-//-//-//

As young William Turner left land for the last time in ten years, Elizabeth watched from the shores of the island, a special chest set on a boulder behind her. Technically she and Will had been married by Barbossa, but she wondered, did it still mean anything now that Will's and her own life would be severed apart? Would he expect her to never wed and have a family because of his wanting her to always be his? She didn't know. Everything was very confusing for the woman at the time. She wasn't even sure where she should go. Back home, to Port Royal? No…there was nothing for her there. Governor Weatherby and James Norrington were both dead. What life could she possibly have living in Port Royal? None.

But wait…She was still King of all pirates, was she not? The eighth other pirate lords still had to abide by her saying, did they not? Then, she was a pirate…a true pirate. She'd find a ship, or better yet, go back to Singapore, where her predecessor had lived, and they would surely give her a ship and a crew, for they'd have no choice but to obey their King. She still wasn't sure why they insisted on calling her a King instead of a Queen, but it didn't really matter, the position was hers all the same. She turned around a picked up the chest that held William Turner's heart. Before he had left, she had told him to keep the key. It wouldn't be smart to leave both pieces together. Yes, separating the key from its lock was much smarter as a strategic move. The key had been placed in Will's boot, and as for where he'd put it as soon as he was back on the Dutchmen, she didn't know, but as long as it was safe.

Elizabeth began to walk across the beach, suddenly realizing, how _was _she going to get off the island? Will had left her without a boat or anything, and she'd ridden with her Singaporean ship to the island and had told them they could sail on back to their port. She'd gotten herself stuck, and all she could do was hope for a miracle. There wasn't even any vegetation on the island…it was basically a large sandbar with lots of boulders and rocks. How dreadful…She sighed and slumped back down, dropping the chest into the sand.

//-//-//-//-//

The Black Pearl, under Barbossa's command, was sailing west, towards Singapore. Barbossa planned on heading to Singapore's port, where Jack Sparrow would most likely be going to in his small rowboat, and there he'd come up with something to do with him. The Black Pearl was making great time, mostly because the wind was in their favor. Barbossa decided that, with Calypso free again, the wind favor was her doing. The sea-goddess hadn't done anything to harm the crew after she'd been turned loose, and he began to wonder if just having Davy Jones dead and most likely with her, was easing her usual hating heart. In the past Calypso hadn't liked sailors or pirates, she'd turn storms upon them whenever she could, and many were killed. That was why the pirate lords had wanted her captured. They had never really known why until recently why Davy Jones would have told them how to capture Calypso, the one whom his heart had belonged to. Nevertheless they used the information to quickly capture the goddess's spirit and put her in a human body with human bones and limitations. And how she had loathed that body. Perhaps she favored Barbossa's crew now because it had been his idea to set her free.

The sun began to set, and the crew began to yearn for bedding. Barbossa on the other hand, being mortal again, had just gotten used to needing to sleep and rest. And it had been a while since he'd gotten a good night's sleep since his most recent quest to fetch Jack Sparrow back from the world of the dead. He needed to sleep now, and he had Gibbs take over the command for him.

The waters were calm and steady that night; more good favor from Calypso. The crew was quite relaxed for once, and they were enjoying it. The stars were shining so brightly that they were reflected from the water, creating a scene as if they were sailing through the sky and not the sea. It was much like the night they'd spent in the world of the dead when the stars shone into the water and reflected themselves. What a serene environment it created too. It put most of the crew to sleep, just to gaze out at the starry waters. The sea's breezes felt cool against their warm skin, and dried up any drops of sweat. Before they knew it, the whole crew was asleep, though there would be no threat for them that night. Calypso was watching over them, forever in their debt.

//-//-//-//-//

"Wake up you lazy bunch of gits!" Came the loud yelling of Barbossa when he stepped out of his cabin the next morning.

"I leave you all in charge fer one night and you all fall asleep? I be crazy if I don't claim this to be mutiny."

"Captain! My apologies…you see, the water was so starry and shiny-" Gibbs was trying to explain.

"I'd rather not know, Gibbs." Barbossa silenced him. The Captain looked around at all the crew members staring up at him from down on the deck. "Well." He stated testily, and everyone took that as a cue to start working. Rolling his eyes Barbossa turned to walk up the stairs leading to the wheel. He gripped it with experienced hands and checked their direction and speed. He adjusted the direction slightly and found that their speed was just the same as it had been when he'd retired the night before. That was very good considering everyone had fallen asleep. "I don't get enough money for this job." He said to himself.

"You don't get paid, do you?" Raggeti asked plainly.

Barbossa glared at him with a threat and the skinny man with his wooden eyeball instantly continued swabbing the deck.

Barbossa felt the warm wind blowing in from the west. That would slow them down reasonably. Calypso must have been reeking havoc upon some other pirates somewhere off in the seas. Oh well. He'd gone his whole life without the favor of a sea goddess, and he had been fine; this'd just be like the old days, running against the wind with the Pearl. Even going into the wind, the only pirate ship faster than her was the Dutchman, and the Dutchman was know commanded by Will Turner, and he wouldn't harm them.

"Hey Captain Barbossa! I sees a small island!" It was Raggeti.

"You idiot, that's a sandbar!" Pintel corrected his friend with a slap on the back of his head.

Barbossa turned his head to the left and there was a small sandbar indeed. What was that? He squinted his eyes. A figure…ah, Elizabeth it was. He had wondered what had become of her when she'd left. With a grin he turned the wheel to his left; they'd be picking a passenger.

**A/N: So…how was that for a beginning? I'm still working on how this will develop, so reviews and suggestions are welcome and loved! **


	2. Braving the Storm

**A/N: Wow everyone! 311 hits for the first chapter, and 14 story alerts. I feel pretty good about this story now. XD Well everyone, here's the next chappie! **

Elizabeth had been beginning to get worried the night before, and now that she saw the Black Pearl passing by she felt absolutely blessed. It was just her luck that Captain Barbossa would be headed past the little sandbar. She began waving her hands in the air, and yelling, though she doubted anyone would've heard her. Suddenly she thought that the Black Pearl wouldn't notice her, as it steered straight on by. She dropped her hands down to her sides and her face fell. This was just perfect indeed. Her only hope of escape and it was passing her by. Just about then was when Raggeti happened to see her and alert Barbossa. So Elizabeth was altogether overjoyed and relieved when she saw the Pearl swing back to its left towards her. She smiled, picked up the chest that contained William's heart, and ran towards the northern end of the sandbar, avoiding sharp rocks as she did so.

The Pearl came in as close to the sandbar as it could without getting marooned, and then Elizabeth had to splash into the salty ocean water and swim out to the Pearl, where they hoisted a rope down to her. Climbing up was a bit of a challenge while she was holding the chest, but she managed, and she was soon aboard the beautiful ship. Barbossa was the first to come to her and greet her.

"Mrs. Turner…" He paused while Elizabeth looked up, soaking wet. "What ever did ye do to get yourself stranded on a sandbar?"

Elizabeth composed herself as a grin spread across Barbossa's face. "Well…I simply forgot to bring a rowboat with me." That made the crew laugh. Elizabeth shrugged; she knew she didn't have a better thing to say than that, so she let it be.

After the laugh was over and done with, Barbossa spoke again. "Gibbs! Prepare our guest a room. She looks famished and deprived of proper sleep."

Mr. Gibbs immediately disappeared through the crew and into an unused cabin. As for the rest of the crew, they quickly got back to their stations before Barbossa could tell them to.

Elizabeth took this opportunity to talk to Barbossa. "Where are we headed, what's the plan?"

Barbossa smiled. "You're keen on getting started on a new adventure."

Elizabeth smiled in return and shrugged.

"Singapore."

"How convenient."

Barbossa furrowed his brows. "Why, were you headed there?"

"In fact I was. I thought, being King of pirates, I could get a ship and crew from my predecessor's home." Elizabeth explained.

Barbossa seemed disappointed. "I can see we're never going to get that position away from you now."

Elizabeth grinned. "Did you expect me to give it up in order to live with Will of the Dutchman?"

Barbossa stood still, his mouth curled into a frown.

"Come now, you should know I'm smarter than that by now."

Having had enough Barbossa turned and walked to the Captain's wheel. Elizabeth just grinned, proud of herself.

"Mrs. Turner! Your cabin's ready." It was Gibbs.

Elizabeth nodded politely at him and then walked past to her room. It was small, but in a cozy way. There was a twin sized bed on a brass frame and a desk where she could do anything work if she wanted. She didn't have work to do. To top it all off, there were three bottles of rum poised on a table beside the bed. "Pirates." She muttered.

//-//-//-//-//

The little rowboat that Jack Sparrow was in made quick time. According to his compass he'd be there by the next day around noon. Jack had filled himself up with the rum bottle he had, and now he was wishing he'd left some instead of downing it in one swallow. It would be nice to have something to drink about now. His throat was parched, and he wasn't about to drink seawater.

"Another fine dilemma you've gotten yourself into." Came a voice.

Jack looked behind him to see one of those ghastly Jacks that had been following him since being in the Locker.

"Oh you go away."

When he turned back around the other Jack was in front of him.

"Well that's not very nice." It said to him.

Jack's mouth curled into a disturbed one, and he wished the two buggers would disappear. All they did was taunt him.

"I told you he'd drink it all." Said the one behind him to the one in front of him.

"You did not! You said he'd drink it all and _get drunk._"

"Well, he's always drunk."

"Not when he's not drunk!"

They were both silent for a few seconds.

"Just cough it up." Came the one behind him.

The one in front grumbled before pulling out a bottle of rum and tossing it over the real Jack's head to the Jack behind him. Jack thirstily watched the Jack behind him pull out of the keg and start gulping down the drink. "Hey…easy on that…" He muttered.

The Jack stopped drinking and held the rum out. "Why, do you want some?"

Jack glared. "_No."_

"Yes you do." Snickered the one in front.

Jack crossed his arms and held his head high.

"Here, I think you should have some." The Jack behind him tossed it back to the one in front, who was sure to drink some greedily, letting a few drops drip onto the boat provocatively.

Jack watched disgusted. How dare they waste rum right in front of him.

"Ah, he's not fun. Just give it to him." Said the Jack behind.

The one in front agreed. "Alright, alright." He set the rum bottle down in front of the real Jack.

Jack waited a minute before eagerly letting his hands grab the rum bottle and holding to his lips, waiting to taste the coolness of it. But it never came…He held the rum bottle out and tipped it over. Nothing. It was empty. When he looked back up both the Jacks were gone. They'd used his own empty rum bottle against him. How he hated them.

//-//-//-//-//

The night came all too quickly, and soon all was dark. But a storm had been brewing all through the day, and it had had Barbossa on the tips of his toes. The whole crew had been ordered to prepare the ship for a storm, and no one was allowed to sleep. Of course Elizabeth had slept all day, so by nightfall she was rested up and ready to help out if she could.

There were cold winds blowing in from behind them, causing the Pearl to sail quickly. But lightning lit up the sky every few moments, and soft thunder followed. "It'll be here within the hour." Barbossa muttered as he glanced up at the sky.

Elizabeth followed his gaze. Lightning flashed, showing temporarily how grey and cloud infested the sky above them was. It was going to be a long night.

As time ticked on the storm got stronger and stronger, and closer and closer. Waves roared up behind them, causing the Pearl to be tossed up out of the water and then fall back down into it with a splash. Barbossa kept steady hands upon the wheel, keeping the ship headed in the right direction all the same. Wave upon wave crashed into the Pearl, and soon they were coming from all directions, not just behind. Barbossa informed Elizabeth that that meant the storm was right over them. No sooner had he said that did rain start pelting down. It hurt. The rain was coming down so quickly that it made it hurt upon touching the skin. Elizabeth had to put her hands up over her eyes to keep the rain out of them. Barbossa's feathered hat protected his own eyes.

The wind came even colder and fiercer now, blowing the Pearl from side to side in a battle against direction with Barbossa. The Captain called out for the crew to take the sails down to give him more control. The big black pieces of cloth quickly were pulled down by rope, and then tied to the masts that held them up to keep them from blowing away. As soon as they were down Barbossa definitely had more control on the ship. Having the sails down allowed the wind to blow right on past the ship instead of fighting it. The storm was just about finished now. The Pearl had made it through easily, and Barbossa allowed some of the crew to go and sleep.

//-//-//-//-//

The storm was much harder on Jack's little rowboat on the other hand. It was all he could do to hold on for his life and clutch the map and his compass, which were safely tucked into his pockets. But all the waves were crashing against the weak sides of his rowboat, which wasn't made to weather storms. The empty rum bottle had been rolling around in the small boat, and the wind and waves combined finally pulled it out into the water, where it immediately sank out of view.

When the rain began so did the problems. The rain hit Jack's skin like a poison dart would, and he quickly flung his hat over his eyes for protection. The waves kept jerking the oars from his hands until he lost his grip and they floated away into the darkness. Suddenly Jack heard a splitting sound. He looked over his head to see the wood on the rowboat's end cracking off. The waves were pounding too heavily for it to last, and it would soon break off. Water was already seeping in through the cracks, and the boat slightly began to sink.

"No! Bad boat!" Jack yelled over the sound of thunder.

That did none to make the boat stop cracking and falling apart. There came another splitting sound, and Jack turned to see the front of the boat cracking apart too. More water seeped in from the front. He frowned nervously. Why couldn't those pesky Jacks show up now to _help_ him? Jack stayed as long as he could in the rowboat before the bottom started to crack, and then the boat started to split into three pieces. "Oh bugger…" Jack mumbled. He quickly gathered himself and stood up. That made the rowboat sink a little further. He held his arms out in front of him and then dove into the stormy waters.

The cold icy water sent chills through his body when he went in, but it was worth it. He came back up to the surface and took in a long breath. The rowboat was gone. Jack just grinned, and then, while treading water, pulled out his compass the best he could, determined which way it was to Singapore, and then started swimming. The water fought against him, but he'd had to swim like this before, and was prepared. As he swam on the storm began to pass and lighten up.

"Just my luck." Jack said as the waters calmed and cleared.


	3. Singaporean Engagement

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews everyone! I'll be updating once every week from now on, so yeah. XD Ta, ta! And enjoy the next chappie. **

The Black Pearl sailed through the night and into the day, the crew members cleaning it up to look nice as it usually did from the storm. Elizabeth kept herself busy by reorganizing her room and gazing out at the sea. What else was there to do? Things got pretty dull on a ship between quests.

"Bored already Mrs. Turner?" Came Barbossa's voice.

"Unfortunately." Elizabeth replied.

She turned around and saw Barbossa standing in front of the wheel, looking down at her. Elizabeth sighed and walked up the stairs to the wheel and stood before the Captain.

"How much farther do you reckon?" Elizabeth asked, looking hopeful.

"Should be there within the hour I'd say."

"Good."

The Pearl kept on sailing for another hour and a half, to Elizabeth it was hundreds, until finally Pintel shouted out that he could see the Singaporean ports. Barbossa turned the wheel skillfully until the Pearl was directed into a slot where she could be tied off. Crew members quickly jumped off the ship and onto the deck, ropes in hand, and began tying the Pearl to pegs along the dock. In no time the Pearl was safely tied up and anchored and Barbossa and Elizabeth were able to walk onto the dock.

"Now, where to?" Barbossa asked.

Elizabeth glanced at him, a bit baffled. "Oh, well…"

Barbossa sighed in slight annoyance. "You're just lucky you've got me to help you out." He kept on walking. "Follow me."

Elizabeth looked down, a bit embarrassed, and walked after him.

They walked off the docks and into the gloomy grandeur of Singapore, small houses built up out of the water lining their path. The village was still scorched and in bits from the last time they had been to it, and walking through they could see locals rebuilding buildings the best to their abilities. They walked on towards the sewer system where they had once entered Sao Feng's domain, and as usual, two guards were posted. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder who they were now guarding since Feng was dead, but upon seeing Elizabeth they both bowed slightly. She smiled graciously at them. They stood up proper again and then gave a questioning look towards Barbossa.

"Captain Swann would like to speak to the replacement of Sao Feng." Barbossa explained. He used Elizabeth's maiden name because that was the name she used upon first being elected King of the Pirates.

The two guards put on hospital smiles and beckoned for the two of them to follow. Elizabeth and Barbossa followed the same path they had taken their previous visit, through the iron gates and then a tunnel and right into a structure. There were familiar bathtubs and people standing about, along with two new maids to replace the two that had been killed before. Standing in Sao Feng's place was a new pirate, Singaporean as well, but slightly shorter. He turned around and Elizabeth was relieved to see that he looked much nicer than Sao Feng too.

"Captain Swann." He said bowing. Elizabeth stepped forward in greeting.

"And who might you be?" She asked.

"I am none other than Ching Feng." Said the pirate.

"Feng?" Elizabeth questioned, her brows coming together.

"Ah, yes, Sao was my brother."

"Oh, of course." Elizabeth replied in understanding.

Barbossa now stepped forward. "Ching Feng, you may be wondering why Captain Swann-"

Ching held up a hand for Barbossa to stop. "I believe you should let Swann tell us herself."

Elizabeth shot an arrogant glance at Barbossa's taken aback expression.

"Ching Feng, I have come into your presence seeking but a ship and crew."

Ching looked at her with curiosity. "What would be the reasons for your want of a ship and crew?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth but no words came out. Why did she want a ship? "I suppose I'd just like one seeing as I do not have one for myself. As Pirate King I think it might be one of my rights to at least have a ship and crew."

Ching nodded. "Well then, if it's as simple as that, I do believe we have a ship available for you. On the other hand though, we have not a crew member to spare. They are all busy fixing up this town."

Elizabeth smiled. "Well, I shall just have to find a crew for myself then. Thank you."

Ching Feng bowed once more as Elizabeth turned to leave. "Oh and Captain Swann," Elizabeth turned her head. "My two guards shall escort you to your vessel."

Elizabeth smiled again and Barbossa turned to follow her. At the entrance of the structure of Ching Feng's, the two guards that had led them in turned to lead them out and towards Elizabeth's new ship.

//-//-//-//-//

The waters grew calmer and steadier as Jack Sparrow swam on. It had gotten much easier to swim as the night had bore on, but by now his limbs were aching with tire and his lungs pumped often, trying to keep him afloat. His skin had turned soggy and wrinkled from being in the water so long, and his hair and beard had gotten soaked. The clothing her wore stuck to his skin in annoyance and to top it all off he thought there might be a shark or two stalking him.

"Bloody beast…" Jack mumbled in between short breaths.

Slowly he turned his head as he swam to look behind him. Indeed there was a pale grey fin sticking up out of the water, trailing behind him.

"Alright then, c'mere horrible fish thing!" Jack shouted, turning his whole body to face the fin. It simply came closer and closer, gliding through the water. Jack held up his hand and balled it into a fist, ready to knock the sense out of the shark once it was close enough. As the fish approached Jack's legs strained from treading, and he desperately wished he could see the Singaporean port. Finally the fin was so close Jack was sure he could see the form of the fish under the water. Just as he was about to wham his fist into it a huge head with a long pointed snout shot up out of the water and cried, "Eeeeeeek!"

Jack sighed and lowered his fist as the dolphin circled around him, playfully squeaking as he went. While the dolphin continued to try and get Jack to play, Jack pulled out his compass to check his direction. He was still headed the right way.

"Hey dolphin! Get sure slimy self over here!" Jack called.

The dolphin threw up its head and swam over to him. Jack reached out his hand and grabbed hold of its fin.

"Onward to Singapore!" He yelled, and the dolphin started swimming agilely in the right direction, Jack holding on to its fin still. "Good mammal!"

Letting the dolphin ferry him the rest of the way really did help as far as Jack was concerned. His arms and legs got a rest and stopped aching as badly, though he had to switch arms a few times from holding the fin, as it was a strain to be dragged along. Jack constantly checked his compass and pulled the dolphin into the right direction, making sure it didn't just drag him along in circles. Eventually a port came into view, and Jack smiled in relief. The dolphin let out an 'Eeeeeeek' of relief as well, having been long ready to dump the human it carried, who had been far less playful than it had hoped. Jack rode the dolphin all the way to a dock and then let go of its fin, his hand having gotten a sore from it. The dolphin immediately ducked underneath the surface and swam off.

"Thank you, kind hearted mammal." Jack said.

He grabbed the wooden poles holding the dock up and started climbing them until he could hoist himself onto the dock. He shook himself and water flew every direction, falling back into the water and onto the dock. Dripping as he went, Jack walked along the dock, looking for a familiar face. And to his surprise he found two almost instantly.

"Barbossa? Elizabeth?" He muttered to himself as he watched the two of them being escorted by two Singaporean men. He wondered what kind of trouble they were up to. He instantly remembered that Barbossa would be wanting the map, and he quickly checked himself to make sure he still had it. Although soppy and wet, the map was still in one piece. But that still left Elizabeth. Jack had expected her to be long gone with William by now. "Ah well, more for me." He said cheerfully.

Quickly he walked after them as they turned onto a different dock than his, leading to a large, magnificent ship tied up. Its mast rose up in glory, and its sail glowed red in the sun. Its wooden railing and build were perfected and polished, making it sparkle. Jack's lip quivered in envy of the ship. Of course it wasn't as good as his Black Pearl, which Barbossa still had somewhere, but it was still very nice. He glanced around for black sails and found them close by. He grinned at the sight. For now he'd stick with Barbossa and Elizabeth to find out what was going on and get up to par. The two Singaporean men bowed and then left them, passing by Jack with scrutinizing eyes. He flicked smiles at them and then walked to stand behind his two comrades.

"Beautiful ship, she is."

They both turned around, their eyes slightly wider than normal.

"Jack!" Barbossa said with a bit of annoyance. "I expected to find ye here!"

"Well here I am. And I suppose you be wanting _my_ map."

Barbossa made an effort to grin wickedly. "Hand it over then." He held out his hand.

Jack stared at it with a stupid smile. "I don't feel like handing it over. Why do you want it anyways?"

"That be the business of my crew and myself."

"You mean, _my _crew." Jack corrected.

"Well you don't have a ship for a crew, so that makes them my crew." Barbossa argued.

"No-"

"Gentlemen." Elizabeth said, stepping in between the two. "Let's settle this in a civilized manner."

"We're pirates, Elizabeth; we don't know the meaning of civil." Jack said stubbornly.

"Then allow me to teach you." Elizabeth replied to Jack. "Now, Jack, where do you plan to go with the map?"

Jack glanced in between Barbossa and Elizabeth suspiciously before deciding to give himself up. "I'm headed for the Fountain of Youth."

Elizabeth nodded. "And you, Barbossa?"

"The Fountain of Youth." He grumbled.

"Well then. The way I see it, you could both go together and _share _the map and the crew, and the Pearl."

They both gaped at her, jaws hanging open.

"Or not…" She sighed.

"Elizabeth, I insist on sailing with you on your new ship." Jack said with a toothy grin.

"What if Elizabeth's not planning on going to the Fountain?" Barbossa grumbled.

"Nonsense, Elizabeth, are you going to the Fountain?" Jack asked.

Elizabeth thought for a few seconds. She had nowhere else to go, did she? And if Will would be living for eternity on the Dutchman, should she not be able to live forever as well?

"Of course." She finally said.

Barbossa shot her a confused glare.

"What? You never asked me where _I _planned to go, did you." Elizabeth told him innocently.

Barbossa glared back at Jack, who was grinning with self satisfaction.

"Well, if we're all heading the same place," Barbossa began.

"I'll keep the map, sail with Elizabeth, and you shall follow behind us like a puppy." Jack stated.

Elizabeth glanced at Jack, not quite seeing a problem with his plan.

"Jack, Jack." Barbossa grinned. "Captain Turner does not even have a crew."

_Turner?_ He thought. "Is that so?" Elizabeth nodded. "Well that's no problem…Mrs. Turner." He said it with a bit less enthusiasm.

"It's not?"

"Of course not." Jack smiled and turned around. "Hey!!!"

A few people working about glanced up. "Any of you bloody pirates want to join us on a death risking journey where you'll all probably get killed!?" He shouted. They all just stared in bewilderment. Jack sighed and called, "The Captain's a girl!"

That did the trick, for no sooner had he said 'girl', the majority of them came running forward, grins upon their faces.

Jack turned back to Barbossa and Elizabeth, his signature grin on his face. Elizabeth looked a bit insulted while Barbossa just sulked.

"Alright, we're all set." Jack announced.

Elizabeth stepped closer to him, and Jack looked at her curiously. "One thing before we begin…" He grinned at her, "_I'm _the Captain. Not you."

"Indeed." He replied.

Elizabeth side stepped him and spoke to her 'crew'. "Untie this ship and do it quickly." They all scampered aboard the vessel, a few waiting on the dock to untie it.

Elizabeth smiled and boarded her ship, Jack following, and Barbossa shook his head slowly and went back to the Pearl.


	4. Personal Ties

**A/N: As promised, it's been a week and here's the next chapter! Thanks for all the encouraging reviews! XD**

As the ocean sun loomed over the Singaporean port, two beautiful ships made their way through the waters, sailing steadily one behind the other. Taking up the lead was a well made Eastern style pirate ship, the name in kanji written across the side of it, and huge red sails rising on the masts. Following a length behind it was another beautiful vessel, black sails flowing silkily in the wind as it went.

Perched behind the wheel of the Black Pearl, Barbossa stood, a cranky look of despise pasted upon his face. He hated being told what to do, and it made all the more dislikable that Jack Sparrow had been the man who'd done the bossing. Barbossa had felt that he had been one step ahead of his rival, but as always, Jack had sticky fingers and had easily made things favor his will. To top it all off, Barbossa knew he still didn't have a map, which made him exactly like a puppy, as Jack had put it, because all he could do was follow along and hope for the best. The most he knew of the Fountain of Youth's whereabouts was that it was around the island of Cuba, recently discovered and distinctly remote.

//-//-//-//-//

In a much better mood, Jack Sparrow sat alone in a chair in a guest's room on the Singaporean ship manned by Elizabeth. Before him was a desk, and on the desk lay a particular map, illuminated by a candle. Jack was looking intently at the mark on the map entitled, _Fountain of Youth. _The Fountain's mark was on the inner most circle on the map, and Jack's hands reached to fiddle with the ring circling it. He rolled it until a few words were distinguishable above the Fountain of Youth. _Death awaits the unique. _How strange it was. After Jack had pondered for a few moments' time and came back to himself still with no answer, he decided that it was time to consult the so called Captain. Besides that, he was looking forward to having a little chat.

Jack rolled the map back into a scroll and put inside his jacket, not changing the circles' positions. He picked up the candle in its holder and moved it to the nightstand beside his cot and then turned to leave his quarters. He walked out onto the deck of the ship and, moving quickly, pulled the arm of one the Singaporean crew members and stopped him. The man stared at him in question.

"You, you can read, aye?"

The man slowly nodded.

"Then what's this blasted ship's name?"

"DeLurk." The man spoke so quickly that Jack wasn't sure of what he had heard.

"English please?"

"The Lurker…"

"Ah." Jack smiled thoughtfully and loosened his grip on the man's arm and he scuttled away.

Jack then continued on to the ship's stairways that led up to the wheel, where hopefully Elizabeth would be. Jack poked his head over one the stairs to look, and yes, Elizabeth was steering the wheel, looking a little apprehensive. Jack finished walking up the stairs and tapped Elizabeth on her shoulder, and she looked around with her eyes flashing in the light of the setting sun.

"What is it, Jack?"

"That's still Captain, to you, Captain _Turner._"

Elizabeth turned her head.

"I just thought you might like to be relieved of your-"

"I'm perfectly comfortable manning the wheel. Why would I want to relinquish the wheel to you anyways?"

Jack felt a bit taken aback by Elizabeth's hostility, "Just thought you might be tired, mate. Besides, do you even know what you're doing?"

Elizabeth took in a breath defiantly. "It's better to learn now so that I'll be able to do it when you're not here to pester me."

Jack smiled for the first time. "Then, seeing as you claim to be _learning_, allow me to give you a few pointers."

Hesitantly, Elizabeth finally nodded after a few seconds. Jack stepped behind her and put his arms around her own, grasping the pegs on the wheel where her own were. "You're steering it all wrong, love." He whispered, and Elizabeth inhaled sharply.

"How can you steer wrong when you're going in a straight line…?" Elizabeth asked, her voice slightly rasping.

Jack, still smiling, elaborated, "Well, you see the waves? Good. If you notice, they're coming in against the ship, so to say you're sailing against the current-"

Elizabeth quickly interrupted, "If I sailed with the current I'd be going back to Singapore."

Jack nodded behind her, "Yes, I know. Unfortunately sailing against the current is necessary for you now. But, if you were to angle the ship slightly to one side, it'd be much easier."

At this, Jack's hands gripped her own slightly tighter and he pulled the wheel slightly to the right, and in response Elizabeth felt the ship beneath her angle just slightly and sure enough, it sailed slightly quicker. After a few moments Elizabeth cleared her throat and Jack promptly released her hands and stepped away. She turned around and smiled meekly. "Thanks."

Jack nodded, his smile widened. "But if you'd be so kind as to listen to another few words I have…"

Elizabeth nodded.

"Goody." Jack pulled the map out from his pocket and unrolled it, holding it out in his hands.

Elizabeth stepped back so that she was in line with Jack and she could see clearly the lay of the map. She'd seen it once before when Barbossa had been looking at it while they sailed to the end of the world, but now it was arranged differently. She saw labeled, The Fountain of Youth, and above it the words _Death awaits the unique. _

"Not sure what it means, love, but thought you'd like to see it." Jack said softly as he too looked at the map.

Elizabeth squinted in thought, her eyes scanning the rest of the map. She looked to the right of the words above the Fountain and saw that they read out something as well. _Life is the reward. _

"Any idea what that means?"

Jack glanced at it as well and sighed. "Not a clue."

After a few more minutes, Jack rolled the map up once again and replaced it in his coat, turning to leave Elizabeth. She faintly called him back.

"Jack?"

He turned his head, his eyes sparkling. The sun had set now, and the moon in the sky could be seen. "Hmm?"

Elizabeth smiled, "How did you get to Singapore? I didn't see a ship of any sort."

Jack grinned in amusement. "Dolphins, mate."

Elizabeth gazed curiously. "What happened to sea turtles?"

Jack turned completely around and straightened up. "Well, sea turtles have served me well throughout my times at sea, but I have found that dolphins do just as good, better actually."

"Oh…indeed…" Elizabeth replied.

Jack swiftly came forward and Elizabeth gave him a look of wonder.

"Elizabeth…is it true, that you've been married off?"

For the first time Elizabeth swore she saw something of hurt in Jack Sparrow's eyes, and she felt a stab at her heart.

She nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, that is accurate."

She heard Jack sigh. "I told you it wouldn't have worked between us, and you told me the same once." She said softly.

Jack met her gaze once more and smiled, but the sparkle was gone from his eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, I suppose we were right then." With that he turned around and walked off, muttering, "I need some rum."

Elizabeth watched him go sadly. She'd thought she long since gotten over her somewhat of a crush on Jack Sparrow, and now she felt as if she'd just broken his heart. But why should she care? Will was who she loved, and he was who she should care about…not Jack. It wasn't possible that…No. No, she firmly told herself. That was not an option. She sharply turned on her toes and returned to the wheel, gazing out into the new night, glittered with stars.

//-//-//-//-//

By the next morning Elizabeth was exhausted from a night of continuous steering and gazing. She didn't know how any of the other pirate captains could manage without sleep. Perhaps that was why they had first mates…She yawned sleepily, wondering if she was even headed for the right direction anymore. She didn't even have a compass. She sighed just as steps were heard and she turned her head to see Jack coming up from the deck. He smiled cheerily and walked over to her.

"Alright, my shift now."

Without any resistance Elizabeth let go of the wheel and slunk away. When Jack was sure she had truly left, he pulled out his compass and opened it up. For the first time in a long time the needle swung between directly behind him and off to his left, and he knew it was torn between two. Jack frowned and shook it a bit until the needle reluctantly swung to his left and stayed there. Satisfied, Jack put the compass away and adjusted the Lurker's course. Over the night the current had changed slightly, making it easier to sail to the left.

Without warning visions from his sleep returned to him, haunting his mind. He closed his eyes tightly and reopened them, trying to clear his head. He'd had a horrible night's sleep, but he wasn't going to mention that to anyone. As far as he was concerned, nothing different or strange had happened. Everything was normal. Nothing unusual.

Without warning the Lurker suddenly jerked to the right and water splashed everywhere. Jack nearly lost his footing and fell over, but his hands gripped firmly upon the wheel provided balance. When the ship straightened out, he hurried to look over the railing out into the water. Behind him he heard anxious footsteps coming up the stairs and on cue Elizabeth was leaning over beside him.

"What was that!?" She asked loudly.

"Don't know…"

Elizabeth gazed behind The Lurker at the Pearl and wondered if it had noticed anything. Before her eyes she saw the Pearl jerk to the right just as the Lurker had done seconds before. She punched Jack's arm and he jerked his head to look as well.

"There must have been something down there…" Elizabeth said slowly.

Jack nodded, his eyes dark with thought. "Or maybe…someone…"

Elizabeth exchanged a look with him of curiosity and then a horrible roar was heard.

They both shot over to the railing on the right, the side from which the roar had sounded. There were a few moments of daunting silence that seemed to drift by as if they were hours of anticipation. Just when Elizabeth was beginning to think whatever it was had gone away, the water began swirling beside them, and something was rising up from the center of the swirling water. There was another piercing roar of hatred as the huge serpent rose higher and higher, it's yellow eyes gazing down at the two ships it was hovering over. With what would have been a smirk had it been human, the serpent lunged forward and it's long neck shot after its head and it returned to the water, causing a terrific wave to shoot into the air and come splattering onto the ships, and the two vessels were flung to their left. Both Jack and Elizabeth had their ribs flung into the railings painfully, and they both knew that this was going to be a bit of a worrisome dilemma.


	5. The Fall of the Serpent

**A/N: Time for another chappie! XD**

In an instant both Jack and Elizabeth sprang to their feet and hurtled down the stairs leading to the deck, where the crew members were just starting to pour out of their cabins looking very confused. Behind The Lurker, The Pearl was slowly making a turn to the left, looking as if it were going to pull alongside the Lurker's left. Jack anxiously scanned the water for any sign of the serpent while Elizabeth hurried off to untie the sails so the ship could sail quickly. The Pearl was now edging along the Lurker's side, and in the water the back of the serpent was seen doing a dive down into deeper waters.

The crew members of the Lurker hastened to take over untying the sails, and Elizabeth backed off, looking about in a fluster. Jack made his way back towards her and spoke quickly.

"The ugly snake went down deeper; it's probably planning to ram its head through the bottom of the ship!"

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide. "I have to turn the ship!"

Jack rolled his eyes, "You think so!?"

Without replying Elizabeth made a U-turn and ran back up the steps to the wheel two at a time. She let her hands quickly grasp the pegs of the wheel and began turning to the right, as the Pearl came parallel on the left. Just as the water began to circle, the Lurker cleared away, and the head of the serpent rose at full speed in between the two ships, looking furious that it had missed its target. Its eyes glanced between the two ships and then it dove towards the Lurker, its mouth wide open bearing sharp teeth.

The crew members jumped aside as the serpent made contact with the Lurker, wood chips flying in all directions. When it lifted itself back up there was a gaping hole in the deck, revealing the store rooms under deck. Elizabeth left the wheel momentarily to see how bad the damage was, and when she saw the hole in her brand new ship her jaw dropped in frustration. She was about to turn back to the wheel when her eyes caught sight of thin long poles under deck. As she looked at them from the wheel down into the hole, a smile formed on her face.

Meanwhile, the serpent had turned to the Pearl, where Barbossa was manipulating the ship into swift turns to the left and right, jerking it side to side to keep the serpent busy trying to lock on to target. Its long head kept diving towards the Pearl, but nearly every time it missed to go splashing back into the water. This was very helpful to the Pearl, as it took the serpent great effort to keep heaving itself up out of the water time after time, and it was obvious that it was getting tired.

"Jack!"

Jack looked up at Elizabeth from where he had been standing on deck. She was pointing at the hole that the serpent had made minutes earlier. A bit baffled he strode over to the hole through the panicked crew members and gazed down. He saw rum bottles, mostly broken now, lots of toppled shelves, and then he saw strange poles. He looked back at Elizabeth. "Poles?"

"Yes!" She yelled.

With a curious shrug, Jack jumped down into the hole landing on the lower deck floor. He dusted his hands off as the ship gave a lurch to the right, indicating the serpent had probably hit it with its tail while chasing after the Pearl. He balanced himself and then made his way to where the poles had been set. He found them quickly and picked up as many as he could and ran towards the lower deck's stairs that led back up to the main deck. When he got there he saw that the serpent had shifted its attention back to the Lurker, and was swimming towards it from where the Pearl had led it off to.

Making an anxious face, Jack hurried towards the captain's wheel and raced up the stairs to it, Elizabeth looking nervously in the direction of the serpent as she directed the Lurker to swerve to the right. Jack let the poles drop to his feet, wiping his hands on his pants and then looked up at Elizabeth.

"Great!" She managed as the serpent started to rise up in the air maliciously. "Here." She grabbed his arm with a firm grip and yanked him towards the wheel, where he got the picture and grabbed hold of the wheel while she moved over to the poles. She picked one of them up in her hands and held it up in the air at a slant, and realization dawned on Jack. He let go of the wheel and reached his hands out to help hold up the pole. The serpent, who didn't see anything threatening about this picture, continued to hurtle down through the air towards the two people. At the last second someone on deck had decided to fire a canon at the serpent, which blew it off balance, hitting it in the side of its neck. The serpent lurched off course with a perilous scream of anger.

Jack was getting up to go back to the wheel, but Elizabeth stopped him.

"Wait, it'll be back…"

Looking back out over the rim, Jack saw that the serpent was shaking its head to clear its thoughts and then its eyes locked on with Jack's. The serpent gave a low growl that seemed to gurgle a bit from all the water it had swallowed, and Jack quickly grasped the pole again to help Elizabeth.

The serpent did indeed come back for another shot, although this time it was twice as angry. After rising up in the air it furled its neck into a loop curling backwards and shot forward as if it had been slung from a sling shot. Elizabeth and Jack braced themselves for impact as it hurtled towards them monstrously, gripping the pole tightly. Without thinking, Elizabeth quickly grabbed another pole and held it up with her free hand. Jack, noticing this, quickly did the same so that three poles now were held up, facing the serpent. An instant later the huge jaws of the serpent opened wide and came crashing on top of Elizabeth and Jack, but in another instant it had stopped cold in its path. Elizabeth opened her eyes, after having closed them from being so tense. All three poles had pierced through the serpent's mouth and came jutting out the top of it through its head. Despite this the serpent was still alive, though only by a sliver. In response to this the same crew member who had lit the canon a moment earlier, lit the canon again, and it blew through the serpent's neck at the same place as the other blow. Other canons were lit as well, and soon the serpent was being blasted all over by the canon balls. It gave one final attempt to lunge forward at Elizabeth and Jack before going limp and sliding over the railings and back into the waters, where it sank downward.

Panting, Elizabeth stood and walked over to the railing to look down, and there was no sight of the serpent anywhere. Jack came over beside her to look for himself and smiled.

"Well, it got what was coming to 'em."

Elizabeth couldn't help but chuckle at that.

The Black Pearl came sailing back up to their side and Barbossa looked over at them, scrutinizing. Jack waved with a smile showing his teeth.

"Show off!" Barbossa yelled at him. "Just had to kill it, didn't yeh? I could've done it…" And he kept on mumbling grumpily.

"Well," Elizabeth said, turning to Jack. "I'll have to get that gaping hole fixed now…"

"Just get the crew to hop to it." Jack said as a matter of fact kind of way. With that he turned and walked to the wheel, Elizabeth following.

"Now, I believe it was my turn to steer while you were supposed to go and take a nap." Jack stated, glancing at Elizabeth.

"Oh alright." Elizabeth said, turning and walking down the stairs.

The rest of the day the crew spent mending the hole in the deck. They used spare wood from the layer deck to nail back in place to the hole, and they used wood glue to make it sturdier. When they had all finished the sun was setting lazily back beneath the water. The Pearl had long since gone back in place, sailing behind the Lurker, and Jack had been steering for a long time now. He wasn't sure rather or not Elizabeth would even wake up to take a night shift, which, being a pirate, didn't really bother him, as on the Pearl he usually captained without sleep for long amounts of time.

About a half hour later he did hear foot steps coming up the stairs and turned to see a still half asleep Elizabeth. Slightly surprised, he relinquished the wheel and she took it, her eyes slowly becoming more alert. She had put her old pirate hat back on before she'd come out of her cabin. Jack watched her for a few minutes before he reluctantly decided to leave her. As he was turning to the stairs, he heard the sleepy voice of Elizabeth.

"Jack…about last night…"

He slowly turned around and saw Elizabeth gazing at him steadily.

"What about last night?" He asked with a far off hint in his voice.

"Well…" She blinked slowly. "I just never knew it meant so much to you."

Jack took a few steps closer. "That's a lie, Elizabeth. We both know it means everything…at least it does to me."

Elizabeth wasn't sure what to say. "Well then why did you never say anything to me after I came all the way to the Locker to find you?"

Jack Sparrow squinted his eyes in thought. "I never thought you'd expect me to say anything. I thought it was just a…an act of mercy towards the better of the Pearl's crew, what you did."

There was a long pause of silence after that had been said. Elizabeth didn't dare speak now, for fear she might say something she'd later regret. Jack merely looked at her for a long time, his gaze never faltering, and he finally spoke. "It was just a gesture…wasn't it? Nothing more?"

"No…nothing more." She managed to whisper.

Jack wasn't convinced, but he decided he'd had enough. He turned and walked down the stairs, leaving Elizabeth to the wheel just as he had the night before.

Elizabeth quickly flung her hand up to her eye as soon as he was out of sight and wiped one tear from her eye. She finally realized she'd made a big mistake. She should have never married William. She knew, that, had she had known that Jack did harbor a few feelings for her, she wouldn't have ever been able to make up with William at all, rather she would have gotten to know Jack better. She always got herself into fine fixes such as this. She turned back to the wheel and continued steering the Lurker on into the night, followed closely by the Black Pearl.


	6. The Smile

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait…I've been a little busy. ; Don't kill me!**

The Pearl and the Lurker sailed on through the open sea days on end. There was never any sign of land or a horizon, so the only thing that drove the crews onward was their captains. Elizabeth put all her effort into encouraging the men to push on, that their destination wasn't just some fantasy. She knew that if there was a Locker, there had to be a Fountain. It wouldn't make sense for Sao Feng's map to tell the truth about one thing, and then lie about another, though it would be very smart manufacturing. In response to her human nature to be determined and have a mind set, the men all pulled their weight and never doubted her strong confidence in herself. Elizabeth found that she was turning out to be much greater a captain than she had imagined.

The only thing that ever made Elizabeth even to the slightest doubt herself, was the way Jack and herself avoided eachother with both their eyes and voices. Elizabeth constantly tried to start a conversation with Jack, but he'd always find something to distract himself with and then disappear. When she'd grown tired of this, Elizabeth gave up and began to altogether ignore Jack for the sake of her own nerves. His response to this was to continue to act just as he had been since the serpent's attack.

Jack spent most of his time gulping down rum to dull his senses. He would talk with the other men aboard about random things such as the truth in their mission and sometimes about how much rum one another could quell. When he was halfway sober he would walk out on deck and gaze off into the sea, his mind lost in his own thoughts. If he happened to see Elizabeth near by he'd make a quick dodge from her view and return to dwelling beneath the deck, where he'd hurry to drink more rum to settle his racing thoughts.

And so this was how the days went on, constant avoidance and sailing. Jack had never bothered to take a shift steering again, and Elizabeth accepted that fact easily. She'd rather not have a drunken Jack Sparrow sailing her ship. The downside to this was that she'd had to pick someone to be her first mate so that she could get sleep every now and then. She'd found a fairly decent candidate soon after the attack from the serpent. He was a slightly taller than herself man, green eyes shone from his face, and he was very polite. He was older than Elizabeth by many years, and she sometimes found herself thinking of him as an uncle or such. White hair and sideburns were what he wore along with his clothing. He also was very dark in complexion, being out in the sun so much definitely had a toll. Elizabeth was sure she heard him walking up the steps to the steering wheel now. She turned and smiled when she found she was right.

"You've sailed all night, Captain Swann, don't you think it's time for a bit o' rest for ye?"

Elizabeth grinned wider in response. "Oh I suppose, Tank."

Tank nodded, "Well alright then, get on to bed." He smiled and took her place at the wheel.

Elizabeth let go of the wheel and walked down to the deck, still smiling warmly to the wood flooring. It felt so good to have a more parental figure in her life once again. She looked up and glanced amongst the many figures walking along, doing their duties well as they went. She kept walking, her eyes shining brightly as she headed towards her quarters. As she skimmed along she was secretly looking to see if Jack was about, it was a subconscious act of her eyes. She was about to looked back at the floor again when she caught a pair of eyes staring at her. They belonged to Jack. The two of them locked eyes for just a moment. Jack was standing by the railing of the Lurker, most likely he had been watching the waves as he usually did, but Elizabeth was wondering if he'd been watching her for longer than just that moment. She blinked as someone walked in front of her, obscuring her view, and when she opened her eyes again, Jack was gone. She sighed and then continued on, reaching her quarters.

That night she had a mind boggling dream of herself twenty years into the future. She was still married to Will, and there were three children dancing around her waist, apparently waiting for their father's arrival home. Elizabeth could see herself as if she was another person, and she didn't like what she saw. She was haggard and tired, her hair was up in a bun and loose strands flew around her head as she stumbled through the children, trying to make some sort of food for them. The door to the small room they were in opened, and Will Turner appeared in the door way, looking just as poorly as she did. His hair was much lighter and his eyes dull, he was unhappy it was clear. He strolled across the room and was bombarded by the three children. He merely walked through them and right past Elizabeth without so much as a passing glance and headed off into another door that appeared in the wall out of nowhere. The children were a bit dismayed and were silent for a few seconds. Elizabeth seized the opportunity to follow her husband and she found him just on the other side of the door.

"Leave me." He said darkly.

Elizabeth put a hand on his shoulder. "Will you not even look at my?"

Slowly he turned his head, glanced quickly at her face and then turned back around.

"This job has changed you a lot Will…it's not very good for your health."

"So what? There's nothing we can do about it." After a few seconds he repeated, "Leave me."

"But-"

He turned in a flash his hand held flat in front of him and it made contact with Elizabeth's cheek, resulting in a clapping sound and leaving an ugly red mark in its place.

Elizabeth's eyes opened to reveal that she was back in her quarters on the Lurker, the night dark and her room smelling of moldy wood. She was panting slightly and a slight sweat had broken out upon her forehead. She touched her hand to her head and found that she had goose bumps all along her arms, and shivered. Utterly shaken and feeling very timid, she couldn't bare to stay in her room any longer. She quickly jumped to her feet, her under clothes the only thing covering her body, and went out onto the deck into a starry reflection of the sky. Her feet were bare, and she wrapped her hands around herself, her arms shivering even more in the night breeze. Knowing that Tank would be steering, she decided to leave him along so as not to worry him about her health, and made her way to the railings where she so often saw Jack kneeling over in a dismal fashion. She found the place and, seeing no sign of anyone else, knelt over the railing and looked at the stars glittering into the sea. They wavered as the water moved, never staying completely still in one place. She blinked slowly, trying to calm herself from the dream she'd had, and continued the sigil. After another quarter of an hour she looked up from the water and into the sky above. She heard the creaking of a wood plank and quickly looked behind herself, her nerves still on the edge.

A few feet away a silhouetted figure stood, looking a bit surprised. Elizabeth recognized him immediately and breathed into the cold, her eyes blinking softly. Without really thinking she walked forward to Jack and quickly wrapped her arms around him, letting her head sink into his chest. He was warm and comforting as his arms slowly embraced her in return, and though his breath smelt of rum, she knew he was more sober than he had been in a long time. After what felt like hours of feeling safely hidden from everything, Elizabeth pulled back very slightly and looked at Jack, one small tear prickling the corner of her eye.

"What in blazes has got you awake at this time?" Jack asked slightly above a whisper.

Elizabeth gave a small laugh in spite of herself, "Oh…it was just a silly nightmare."

"Silly, eh? Seems to me it was a bit more on the suspenseful side."

"Yes, it was tragic, but it's nothing to linger on." Elizabeth replied, nodding her head.

Jack smiled half heartedly and touched his hand to her cheek. "Alright."

His hand slowly fell away and he backed away from Elizabeth, turning his back to her and starting to walk off into the shadows from whence he came. Elizabeth shook her head to herself and started following him, knowing that her voice alone would not bring him back. She didn't know if he could hear her or not, but she didn't care, and she continued to follow him until he stopped in front of his own quarters. There he turned his head slightly, glancing at her in question. Elizabeth just blinked at him, not even sure why she was following him herself.

"I suppose you'll be being too scared to go back to bed then?" Jack asked slightly mockingly.

"No!" She retaliated defensively. He looked at her doubtfully. "Well…maybe." She finished.

"I suppose you can come in…" Jack said, still looking a bit doubtful.

Elizabeth noticed how out of character he seemed to be acting. It was as if he had lost his will to be sarcastically charming, and Elizabeth was determined to make him snap out of it. Without replying she stepped past Jack and into his dark room. It was identical to her own, except that it was littered with rum bottles. He came in after her and closed the door, looking past her with a blank expression. Elizabeth turned to him and saw his eyes as he passed through the light of his window. His eyes were alive again, a sparkle in them, and definitely a hint of a small thought in the back of his mind. This made her smile.

"What?" She heard him ask no sooner had her lips curved.

"Oh….nothing…" She said in a fraud voice that she knew he'd recognize.

To her surprise, he smiled. For the first time in so long a time that she couldn't really put a date on it, Jack smiled, and it made Elizabeth's heart swell with joy.

"It's just that….well, it's simple really. You're smiling, you know." Elizabeth stated.

Jack grinned now. "Is smiling a crime these days?"

"Not that I know of." Elizabeth replied bluntly.

She glanced at his bed as a few thoughts jumped to mind, but quickly she turned way from the bed and looked instead at a rum bottle as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"Something on your mind?" Jack asked in a sly voice.

Elizabeth turned her face to him with a coy smile. She recognized that voice, and she was sure that Jack was gaining his personality back.

"Nothing I should like to share." She responded, still smiling.

"I guess I'll have to read your mind, then…" Jack said, walking closer to her.

Elizabeth hardly dared to think of where this was headed; rather she just accepted it beforehand so as to save her mind for later.

"I'm waiting." She finally said.

Jack grinned and filled the gap between her and himself, looking rather seductive.

Elizabeth smiled sweetly and looked softly into Jack's eyes. Suddenly she realized this wasn't a game of cat and mouse anymore, Jack was only human, and so was she. Before she could stop herself she kissed him to find that he was fully prepared for this. At first it was just a slow, longing kiss that expressed how they had each been wanting to taste the other ever since the kraken had swallowed Jack live. But it soon developed into a deeper, delving kiss that was growing with passion every second.

It was with expert experience that Jack slowly directed Elizabeth towards his bed, and Elizabeth was amazed at how quickly she found herself lying on her back with nothing but a sheet covering herself and Jack. But the night had only begun, and she knew that this would only be the beginning of a new romance to be had in her life, so it was with a growing love that she allowed herself to be taken over by instinct and longing.


	7. Their Concerns

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait…I've been at soccer camp. This chapter's shorter than the rest…but…just…get over it. XD**

Chapter 7

A small stream of light lit up the skin that was Elizabeth's cheek. Her eyes were hidden beneath their lids, her hair lay curled around her bare neck, and she lay in a bed, covered by a sheet. Just a sheet. She could feel the warmth of lifely breath upon the back of her neck as she slowly awakened beneath her closed eyes. And suddenly she was wide awake, her eyes opened, her mind aware, and her heart pounding with a shrill excitement mixed with a prying horror. In a second she'd leapt to her feet, flinging the sheet away to reveal her uncovered body, and quickly she found her shed clothing, folded nicely and set upon a desk, and put it all back on. She did her best to compose herself and then left the empty room, walking out onto the deck and into the crew members, who, fortunately, didn't notice anything out of the norm.  
Elizabeth headed for the stairs to the Captain's wheel, where she knew Tank would be posted. She found him there and walked to the wheel without a word, feeling strangly lit up, as if anyone who glanced at her could see all her thoughts laid out before them.  
Tank glanced at her as she grasped the wheel and cleared his throat. She cast him a look of avoidance.  
"I didn't find you in your cabin this morning." He stated curiously.  
"I...woke early. So I could...watch the sunrise. I've been missing it for so long now, I just had to see it to refresh my mind."  
"Oh...I see..." Tank nodded suspiciously.  
"Look...just because I look up to you doesn't mean you get the privilige to act like a father to me."  
"I don't have to be acting like a father to be concerned about you. Any person could do that without being a father, though fathers do tend to do it a lot." Tank said cooly, almost expectantly.  
"Well...it's not like I-"  
"Did something incredibly stupid in the dead of the night? No, of course not."  
Elizabeth sighed and knew by now that Tank wasn't in the dark on this.  
Tank saw that realization dawn on her face and nodded. "It wasn't hard to figure out where you'd gone to. Nearly everyone can see it. In both of you. It was only a matter of time the way I saw it..."  
"Then why make a big deal over it!?" Elizabeth felt the anger burn in her chest. If everyone knew so well about herself and Jack's personal business why did they make a fuss when what they'd expected finally happened?  
"Because it's stupid. I thought maybe you'd come through and forget about it." Tank replied bluntly.  
"Forget about it?"  
"Yeah...Forget about him, that is. Jack Sparrow. He's not a man to get involved with...he'll stick with you no matter where you go...get in your head and ruin you. You're such an intellegent woman, and I know you did well to marry the Turner boy, but now..."  
"That's enough, Tank. Just because Jack has a reputation as a pirate, doesn't mean he doesn't also have a heart."  
Tank smiled sympathetically. "Do you really think he could actually love anyone?"  
Elizabeth's cheeks burned at these creul words. "Jack is a man...not some demon arisen from hell."  
"What's the difference?" Tank asked immediately.  
"I'll take it from here."  
Both Elizabeth and Tank turned to the new voice in the conversation. It was Jack, standing at the first step of the stairs and looking hardly into Tank's eyes.  
Tank cast a dark glance at Elizabeth, who was struggling with her eyes, and slowly walked past Jack and down the stairs.  
Jack waited until he had gone before he walked over to Elizabeth, his gaze changing immediately.  
"I thought you were a famous captain...but then why would they all hate you?" Elizabeth asked, clearly confused.  
Jack put his arm around her shoulders. "They don't hate me...They hate that you like me."  
Elizabeth heard him struggle for a word to use as he said 'like'. So he didn't think she might love him? Or he didn't know...  
"Why?"  
"Because they like you...You're a good person and they know it. I have a bad rep...they just don't want you to inherit that rep by getting involved with me."  
"But that's stupid..."  
"Isn't it?" Jack replied, letting a small chuckle escape him.  
When Elizabeth looked up into his eyes they sparkled with the light they'd had when she first saw him, and she felt warm. He was happy. She had made him happy.  
"So...why don't you think I'm a demon from hell?" Jack finally said humorously.  
Elizabeth couldn't help but to laugh. "Maybe I do...but I couldn't tell anyone of such an accusation. Demons from hell aren't very appreciated you know."  
"Not at all...Too many people like cuddly things, and demons aren't very cuddly, so they're hated." Jack agreed.   
Elizabeth nodded with a smile. "It's been too long since you've been happy...and it's so replenishing to see you wear a smile again."  
Jack smiled in response, looking a bit more serious now, but the humorous spark far from dull in his eyes. "You look tired...It might've helped if you'd actually gotten sleep last night."  
Elizabeth rubbed her eyes. "It was worth it...I can just get sleep tonight."  
Jack gave her a coy look. "What makes you think that?"  
Elizabeth let her jaw drop in a preppy smile. "Well what were you thinking then?"  
"A few things...all at once." Jack replied. "But, you should probably go back to sleep. We are still on an mission even if it feels like it'll take an eternity to get anywhere."  
Elizabeth sighed and nodded. "Alright...back to sleep...but I want to be wakened by lunch so that I can do something other than snooze all day."  
Jack nodded with a smile and kissed her tenderly, then watched her walk dazily down the stairs until she disappeared. Then he let out his sigh. He knew it would be only a matter of days before Elizabeth realized she was breaking the rules. That she was married to William and she was with Jack at the same time. He had half expected her to hate him this morning for even letting himself go, but he had been so relieved to hear her sticking up for him to Tank. In fact that had made his heart go strangly warm and beat faster. She cared enough to defend him from others' harsh judgement. There was definitely something special and unique about Elizabeth Swann...Turner.

//-//-//-//-//

"Captain! Wake up, wake up!"  
Elizabeth she'd only been asleep for an hour; who would be yelling at her to get up so soon? Groggily she put her pillow over her head, drowning out the voice of the man yelling through her wooden door. There was quiet for a few minutes and then she heard, dinstinctly, the sound of her door swooshing open.   
"Elizabeth, love, wake the bloody hell up."  
"Ugh." She mumbled through her pillow.  
To her dismay she felt the softness of her pillow lifted away a moment later and opened her eyes sleepily.  
"I asked them to wake you up fifteen minutes ago and you slept through it all. I didn't think you were ThaT tired from last night..." Jack said lowly.  
"What's going on?" Elizabeth griped in response.  
"We've hit Cuba."  
Elizabeth was wide awake an instant later. "You mean?"  
"Well...we aren't at the Fountain. No doubt we'll be going through a series of events meant to test us to the death and if we play our cards right we'll find it."  
Elizabeth nodded, getting to her feet. She'd gone straight to bed without taking off her clothes, so they were still on as she left her bed. Jack was standing a few feet beside her, looking excited, and smiling.  
"Well...lets get to the map and see what we're supposed to do now." Elizabeth said quickly. "Oh...and we'll need to talk to Barbossa as well."  
Jack grumbled at that. "Hector. I bet he found a really long telescope by now..."  
"What?" Elizabeth asked, puzzled.  
"Oh nothing really..." Jack continued grumbling. "At least I've ridden sea turtles and dolphins."


End file.
